Transmission



lPatentecl Sept. 7, 1948 TBANSMISSION Ernest E. Eaton, Ben-len Springs, Mieli., mignor to Clark Equipment Company, Buchanan, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application April 20, 1945, Serial No. 589,399

r emma. (cl. 74-825) of the transmission case is maintained suillciently high to prevent interference when driving in rutty roads, through snow, or the like.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a transmission having the desired gear reduction trains With simplicity of operation and yet to incorporate the desired featres of compactness and lowering of the output shaft.

' A still further object of the present construction is to provide a transmission having relatively low overall height so as to provide the desired drop in the fioor level of the' vehicle while mainjtainlng adequate ground clearance.

Still other objects of the present invention will appear more fully from the following detail description which, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, will disclose to those skilled in the art the particular construction and operation of a preferred form of the present invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a Vertical sectional view through a and Figure 2 is a rear end view of the transmission shown in Figure l.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, there is disclosed a bell housing 5, of more or less conventional form, which is provided with the periphex'al fiange 6 adapted to be bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the flywheel housing of the engine. Disposed within the bell housing 5 and extending rearwardly therethrough is a clutch shaft 'l adapted to be driven from the driven element of a clutch (not, shown) and having the conventional clutch throw-out bearing 8 actuated by means of the clutch Operating arm 9 mounted on a clutch actuated pivot shaft Ill.

The pinion shaft 1 is adapted to extend rearwardly of the bell housing 5 and is provided with enlarged end |2 carrying gear teeth |3, the shaft being journalled adjacent the gear portion lz by transmission embodylng the present invention;

' 2 means of the ball bearing assembly H mounted in a suitable bearing support for-med in a housing IS. A suitable bearing retainer sleeve Il is provided for holding the 'outer race of the bearing in position and also for supporting the sliding throw-out clutch assembly 8.

The housing IS depends vertically on the bell housing 5, and is provided with a stub shaft |8 upon which is rotatably journalled the intermediate gear member |9 as by means of the roller bearings 20. The gear IB meshes with the gear teeth |3 of the pinion |2, and in' turn has drlving engagement with a second intermediate or idling gear 22 mounted by means of the roller bearings 23 upon a second shaft 24 secured in the housing l5 and held against rotation or axial movement by means of the key 25 secured' in the forward wall of the housing l5 beneath the bell housing by means of the stud 26.

Considering Figure 1 in detail, this illustrationof the transmission has been expanded in a Vertical direction for the purpose of clarity, but as will be seen from Figure 2 the shafts |8 and 2| are disposed inlaterally offset relation with respect to a Vertical center line through the bellhousing 5 and the housing |5 to gain vertical space, and the gear 22 is so arranged as to have driving engagement with the countershaft gear 21 mounted upon the fixed shaft 28 as by means of the roller bearing assemblies 29 and 30 separated by a conventional type of spacer sleeve 32. The shaft 20 actually is disposed in a position laterally offset from and slightly below the shaft 2| as will be seen from Figure 2, but for purposes of clarity to prevent obscuring of the other gears of the transmission, has been shown in Figure 1 out of position, since actually` it would lie slightly above and laterally offset 'from the main output shaft 33. The countershaft gear 21 is a compound gear having the relatively large gear portion 3|, intermediate gear portions 35 and 80, and a reverse gear portion 37, all of these being formed as a single or unitary member having a hollow bore providing for its mounting upon the bearings- 29 and 30. The shaft 28 is held against axial movement or rotation by means of the key 38 held in position by a s'tud 39 threaded into the rear end wall of the transmission housing 40, which housing as shown in Figure 2, is of generally bowl shape provided with a peripheral flange 42 adapted to be bolted or otherwise suitably secured to a horizontal ilange 13 formed atthe lower end of housing |5.

Thev output shaft 33 of the transmission is provided with a reduced forward end ll mounted by 3 means oftheballbearlnglmunflyllintbeforward wall ofthehoungll. Atilasonmsltemd theshaft 33 isprovidedwlthareduoedpol'flmli mountedbymeansofthebeanngamblyl'l intherearendwalloftbehousingl|andextuuiingtherethroughtoa smtahledrlvlngomnecflon with the propeller sbaft of the vehich: (not shown). A suitable u gear ll is mounted onthisportimofthesbaft 33.

Intermediate thebearingsandl'ltheshaft 33 is provided with a splined purflm ll upon whichismountedtheslidhmclutchmunberl havingtheextemalclutchteethlllndilm .OPpOsite ends thereof. This clutch member is provided with the radially porfim 5| carryingthe synchronizersleevemovidedwith friction synchronizer surfaces Si and 51. respectively, at opposite ends thereof.

The gear portion 34 of the gear 21 is adapted to have constant meshlng ment with the gear member SI journalled upon the shaft 33 adjacent the portion 49 as by means of the 53. The gear Stintlu'ncarriestheclutch teeth 60 adaptedtobebytheclutch teeth 52 of the 'sliding clntch 5|, and carries radially thereabout the friction G2 adapted to be engaged by the frictim sm'face 55 of the synchronizer sleeve 55.

'Ihus,itwi1lbeseenthattheshaft M2 through the intermediate gears I! and 22 drives the countershaft gear 21 which in tmn is adapter] to drive the gear 5| ontheshaft33. By shifting the synchronizer m to the left, as viewed in Figurav 1, `I V-r" ww! is eifected between the gear 53 and the| 33 to provide for direct drive of this s the countershaft.

A second gear 63 is rotatahiy jias by means of bearings i! upon a sieeve E5 n'ied by the shaft 33 on the opposite side of the clutch 50, and is provided with ciotch teeth 66 adaptedtobehytmciutch teeth 53 for clutching the gear G3 totheahat, 33 to provide a reduced drive to the shaft 33 the gear portion 35 of the countelshaft 27|.

Also rotatably joumailed the shaft 33 adjacent the gear S3 is another gear W which is fixed against axial movement as by means of .shitable washers interposed between the gear 53 and the gear S1 and between a shoulder onthe .theft ati the opposite side of thegenr W. The gear Bi' is in constant meshing engagement with the gear portion 36 of the colmtershaft gear, and is adapted to be clutched to the shaft 33 hr means of the sliding clutch gear G8 which names intceimai chitch teeth S9 adapted, when the gear M is shiifted to the left. to engage the clhtch W of gear W, whereby this gear may he ciutohed to the sha'ft 33 to provide a reduced driving the countershat gear 21' io gear 3B and 61. In this connection it wm he noted that the sliding gear S8 is splined to the shazft as ted at 12.

The gear portion 31 'i' gear 27| is adapted to' have meshing engt with a reverse idler gear 13 mounted upon the idier or layshaft 1|, which shaft is in a awm-5 directly below the shaft 23 and ia ohset with respect to the colmtershaft 23 as indicated in Figure 2, the idler shaft TM being hold against axial movement by of the hey '|5 heldinpositlonbythestud'liboitedor II. Theidlergearinli'igurelissho'nmt posionforthesakeofclm'lty.being above and laterally inwardly of the countershaft 2|. Whenthegearfilisshiftedtotherlht fmmthepositionshowninFigureLitisadapted tomeshvliflitheidlcrgearmember'tofma reversegeardvefromthecountershaftthrough gear3'landgear'l3togearilsplinedonshaft3l.

Ihmn'the construction thus far described it willbeapparentthattheclutchshaft'lthrolh intermediate gears IS and 22 constantly drive: the oolmtelshaft gear 2'I whenever the clutch is engaged. Thisgearinturnisadaptedtodve oonstantly the gears 58, 63 and 61 ontheshaft, all of these gears being journailed for rotatim relative to the shaft. By suitable shifting of the clutch 53 or the clutch gear GI selective ment of any of the gears, 5|, 63, or G'l with the shaft 33 can be obtained, thus providing a cmstant mesh transmission of the three-speed type. Reversespoedisobtainedbyshiftingthegear il in the opposite direction to engage the ldler gear 13 constantly driven from the gear portion 31 of the countershaft.

'The housing IB is provided rearwardly ofthe shafts II and Zlwithaverticallyextendinggear shirt control tower having a suitable seaflng port-.ion 82 at its upper endadaptedtoreceivethe hallportion 83 ofagearshiftcontrolleverll extending vertically therein. The shift lever ll issuitahlysealedagainsttheentranceofdirtor the like by means of a flexible leather or rubber hoot 85, and its lower end 3B is foxmed as a ball adapted to engage in suitable Shift ugs W and 8B moimted foraal sliding movelnenton rails 89 and Si, respectively. The shifter log l'lisedtohaveamlaisiiding movemmt ontheshiftrailaswhenthegearshiftleverfl isinaclockwisedireconasshowninllgureitoengage the lower end withinanotched or portion of the 111g 81. A suitable shifter fork 92 carried by the lug Il is adapted to theshiftflangeoryokelofthesynchronizer clutch 5D to provide for optional shifting ofthismtoclutchgeariltoshaft ortoclutchgeartoshaft. Thisis'ac piished thru the synchronizer m whichmaybeoftheblockingtypewhichlethatthegearandtheshaftmust W be rota at approximatelz,7 synchronous speed hefore such ciutching engagement can be eifected. Theoppos'iteshifterlugisadaptedtobe mi; w' by the lower end 35 of the gear shift iever when it is rocked in the opposite direction, andisaxiahyslidahieontheshiftralitopmwde for atuation of the shift fork 93 engaged in a sudtahle shift moove or collar poriion 31| of the gear 83,, wherehy this gear may he shifted axiaily on the spiine 12 to provide for coupiing gear i] to shaft 33 or for engagement of gear SI with the imer reverse gear 13, Thus, it will be seen that a shmoimed him effecve shift control me is provided for producing the three forward and one reverse speeds through the on.

Itwiliaisoheapparent fromigure Zthatthe extent of the transmission is by the lateral oiIset of the w gear 23, and the interpositioning of theidlerreversegearshaftilbetweentheintershaftzl andtheoountershaftandoutshafts. This provides for lowering of the shaft 33 to a point below the colmtershaft 2B and the reverse gear shaft 14. thereby pmthreaded into the rear end Wah of the 7B viding for relativel' low 'horimntal positioning auasva of the output shaft while at the same time maintaining the desired road clearanca' I am aware that various changes may be made in certain details of the present construction, and therefore do not intend to be limited except as defined by the scope and spirit of the appended relative to said 'main shaft, gear trains betweenl said shafts, and short stub shafts journalled in 6 having a clutch shaft extending therethrough,

' of a depending transmission assembly including said depending housing and arranged in an inclined plane between said driven shaft andsaid countershaft and carrying intermediate gears for driving said countershaft from said driven shaft.

2. The assembly of claim I including a re- Verse idler gear shaft disposed laterally between and. above said main shaft and countershaft and journalled in the lower portion of said depending housing,

3. In combination, a bell housing having a clutch shaft extending therethrough, a depending housing secured to said bell housing and including vertically superposed stub shafts carrying intermediate gears driven from said clutch shaft, a rearward extension` on said depending housing carrying a reverse gear shaft, a bowlshaped transmission housing secured to the underside of said depending housing and having a transmission main shaft journalled therein, a countershaft ;lournalled in said transmission housing above and laterally offset from said main shaft, a compoimd gear on said countershaft driven from the lower of said intermediate gears, said compound gear having constant driving engagement with axially spaced gears on said main shaft and with an idler gear on said reverse shaft, and means for selectively coupling said main shaft gears to said main shaft, including shiftable gear means on said main shaft for coupling said idler reverse gear to said main shaft.

4. The combination, with a clutch bell'housig a bowl-shaped transmission housing having laterally spaced shafts therein, one of said shafts constituting a main shaft disposed in a Vertical plane beneath said clutch shaft, gear trains between said shafts, said housing having a Vertically upwardly extending portion secured to said bell housing about said clutch shaft, parallel stub shafts in said portion in Vertical spaced relation and lying in a common plane with the other of said transmission shaftsinclined to said Vertical plane carrying intermediate gears driven from said clutch shaft. the lowermost of said intermediate gears having driving engagement with one of the gear trains on the other of said shafts in said transmission housing.

5. In combination, a clutch shaft having a gear on the end thereof, a pair of vertically spaoed intermediate stub shafts having idler gears thereon in meshing engagement, the upper of said gears being driven from said clutch gear. a countershaft having gear means thereon driven from the lower of said idler gears, a main shaft having gear means thereon driven from said countershaft gear means, said clutch shaft and main shaft lying in the same Vertical plane, and said clutch shaft, stub shafts and countershaft lying in a common plane inclined laterally to one side of said Vertical plane.

6. The combination of claim 5 including a reverse gear shaft disposed above said countershaft and main shaft and disposed intermediate said planes.

'2. The combination of claim 5 wherein a line connecting the axls of said countershaft and main shaft forms, with said planes, a triangle, and-a reverse gear shaft disposed within said triangle. 4

ER'NEST E. EATON.

REFERENCES OITED The following references are of record in the nie of this patent: 

